On the Menu: Expand Award-Winning Program’s Reach in the Community
OCC’s Culinary Arts faculty and students have received a lot of accolades and awards over the years, and now it will have an additional advocate to help increase its reach beyond the Orchard Ridge campus.
Dawnmarie Yelcho has joined the OCC team as the Executive Director of Culinary and Hospitality working with the College’s Culinary Studies Institute. Her first charge is to serve as the key liaison with internal and community audiences with a goal of increasing culinary related expansion into the community.
“We have incredible chefs in our program who not only provide top-notch education to our students but are also experts at planning and executing catered events,” Yelcho said. “We want to take advantage of this asset to develop culinary and hospitality classes for the community and increase revenue opportunities for catered events both on and off the campus.”
Yelcho came to OCC from Cleary University, where she was an academic chair in the Culinary department and Executive Chef of University Dining. Her extensive culinary background included being a chef de cuisine at Two Unique Caterers and a manager and sous chef at a Hyatt Regency. She also has experience in nutrition and food safety and was a nutrition educator and program developer for the Guidance Center and the food safety director for Simon Leeman Produce.
“Dawnmarie brings both experience and enthusiasm to OCC at this exciting time as we engage in planning the facilities and future of Culinary at our Royal Oak campus,” said Joe Petrosky, Associate Provost of Academics & Workforce. “She will help lead not only facilitating the integration of our stellar Culinary program in its future home, but launching and growing a wide range of related continuing education offerings and professional development across the larger geography that OCC serves. “
Yelcho is a graduate of Schoolcraft College’s Culinary Arts program and also earned a Bachelor of Science, Dietetics and a Masters, Human Nutrition from Eastern Michigan University.
About OCC
Offering nearly 100 degrees and certificates, OCC is Michigan’s largest multi-campus community college and No. 1 transfer institution in the state. The College provides academic, career training and enriching experiences, designed to empower students to reach their potential and enhance our community. More than 1 million students have enrolled in the College since it opened in 1965. A seven-person Board of Trustees governs OCC. Board members are elected on a non-partisan, at-large basis, serve as volunteers and are not paid. Mission statement: OCC is committed to empowering our students to succeed and advancing our community. Learn more at oaklandcc.edu.
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